Chicago Announces New Looting-Prevention Efforts As Fear Rises

CHICAGO — In response to a second round of downtown looting this summer, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a comprehensive crackdown to protect business districts and go after people responsible for waves destruction that has neighbors and retailers afraid the attacks won't stop.

Police have boosted social media surveillance aimed at identifying threats of looting, which authorities say have included organizing car caravans online. The city's preventative measures also include a rapid response task force that aims to more quickly deploy police and streets and sanitation resources to lock down areas in the event of future looting.

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Mayor Lightfoot also said the city plans to have a robust legal response that will include drafting new laws that would give law enforcement greater flexibility in prosecuting looting-related cases.

"We, our city government with our law enforcement partners, simply must do better. And we will do better. This challenge that we face goes beyond just broken windows and stolen property. What was damaged was the faith and confidence of our residents and businesses in their city's ability to ensure basic protection," Lightfoot said.

"The effort to restore that confidence has already begun. And for me, personally, it started with listening. Listening to the fears, concerns and frustrations of many people. ... It should be obvious, but let me say this loud and clear: No matter what an individual's life circumstances may be, it is never justifiable to take that which is not yours. ... Any thinking, any speech, any action that suggests that somehow taking and looting is justifiable is simply wrong and I reject it in the strongest words possible."

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Lightfoot's made the plan public alongside local and federal law enforcement officials including FBI Chicago office Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Bui and Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, who the mayor criticized this week for an alleged lax prosecution of looters in May.

Police Superintendent David Brown told reporters this week that people involved in looting didn't fear punishment due to the lacking prosecutions. And Foxx responded to the criticism and called for an end to the "blame game." She asked city and federal officials to cooperate in an "all hands on deck" strategy to bring people involved in the latest looting attack to justice.

"The way out of this is what we’ve done in the past and will continue to do, which is work collaboratively with all of our partners to bring those who commit these acts to justice, and to work with our communities to make sure our system is fair and just and equitable for everyone,” Foxx said at Friday's news conference.

Special Agent Bui, an Englewood neighborhood native, said the FBI has received tips related to looting and destruction this summer, but not nearly enough. He urged people to take "30 seconds" to send information to the FBI's Chicago tip line.

"In 55 years I've never seen it like this in Chicago. It's enough. And we have to take a stand. That stand can't be made alone by law enforcement. It can't be made alone by the business community. It can't be made alone by the politicians representing us here in Chicago. It has to be all of us, and most importantly it has to be the community as well," he said.

"We all have to take a stand. We have to bond and band together. ... Our interest is pursuing anyone promoting, creating and conducting violence in the city of Chicago. We are pursuing any federal charges ... against violence committed in Chicago."